Car coupler



Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAR COUPLERApplication July 23, 1938, Serial No. 220,864

10 Claims.

This invention relates to car couplers, and more particularly pertainsto means for positively preventing undesired movement of the look fromlocked to unlocked position. The invention comprises certain novelimprovements over the form of anti-creep means shown in copendingBazeley application Serial No. '71,4=14,filed March 28, 1936.

It is wellknown that due to the weaving action of adjacent cars when inmotion, forces are exerted on the look by the knuckle which tend tocause the lock to creep upwardly. This is particularly true where thelocking faces on the knuckle and lock are at a slight angle to thevertical, such a lock commonly being known as a wedge lock, but is alsotrue in other types of locks having vertical locking faces.

An object of my invention is to make the anticreep means effective forlimiting undesired vertical movement of the lock by'forming means on apart of the lock operating mechanism for preventing the leg of the lookfrom working out from beneath the anti-creep ledge on the coupler head.

A further object of my invention is the provision of anti-creep means asabove described, which, however, can be readily disengaged by theoperating mechanism so that the lock may be raised for unlocking theknuckle.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be more fullyunderstood from the following description in conjunction with thedrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of a car couplerembodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken generally along the line2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a view of the bottom portion of Fig. 1, with the lock movedvertically until the anti-creep means are engaged.

Figure 4 is a partial view in vertical section, showing the operation ofthe uncoupling means in disengaging the anti-creep means; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the position of the partsjust after the anti-creep means between the lock leg and coupler havingbeen disengaged.

In the drawings, the knuckle H is pivoted to coupler head Ill formovement in a horizontal plane. A lock [2 has a sloping surface l3adapted to engage a corresponding face M on the tail of the knuckle forlocking the knuckle in closed position. The opposite side of the lockengages wall 15 of the coupler for resisting pivotal movement of theknuckle. As shown in Fig, 2, the lock is first fitted in the coupler ina slightly raised position, so that there is some clearance between theoverhanging ledge [6 on the lock and a shelf H on the knuckle tailpermitting further downward movement of the lock relative to the knucklefor a limited amount of takeup, which may occur as the result of wear ofthe parts. A second ledge ii! on the knuckle tail may be similarlyspaced from surface IS on the lock for limiting vertical downwardmovement of the lock. An opening in the bottom of the coupler headnormally receives the leg 2! of the look when the latter is in lockedposition. Projecting forwardly from the bottom of leg 2| is ananti-creep shoulder 22 adapted to normally underlie ledge-23 on thecoupler head at the forward end of opening 20.

The operating mechanism for raising the lock comprises a link Mhaving anangularly disposed opening 25 which receives a lateral projection 26 onthe lock. The bottom of link 24 is bifurcated to form arms 21 and 28between which is positioned the end 29 of uncoupling lever 30. A rivet3| pivotally joins the lever with link 24. The other end of lever 30 isformed with a hookshaped portion 32 pivotally supported on a member 33on the coupler head to the rear of the lock. Intermediate its ends link30 is formed with an opening 34 which receives a member 35 extendingbetween link 30 and a ball 36. The bail is pivotally supported onbrackets 31 on the underside of the car structure and is rotatedforwardly and upwardly by means of uncoupling rod 38.

Upon actuation by the uncoupling rod through ball 36 and member 35,lever 30 is pivoted forwardly and upwardly, causing lower wall of slot25 in link 24 to slide along projection 26 thus moving leg 2! of thelock from beneath the anti-creep ledge 23 of the coupler. When the lowerend of slot 25 is engaged with projection 26, further pivotal movementof lever 38 will move link 24 and hence the lock vertically until thelock reaches its unlocked position.

Under actual service conditions it has been found that the lock maymove, due to the weaving action of the cars, so as to rotate the legthereof rearwardly, tending to destroy the overlap between theanti-creep shoulder on the lock and the anticreep ledge on the couplerhead. During this movement projection 26 on the lock exerts a cammingaction against upper surface 4| of slot 25, causing link 24 to movevertically. Since, as previously explained, the anti-creep meanscomprising shoulders 22 and 23 no longer overlap each other when thebottom of slot 25 engages projection 26, the aforesaid camming actionwill, if not prevented, permit the anticreep means to become disengagedat just the time when it is intended that it be eifective. In myinvention, I provide stop means between the coupler head and a portionof link 24 to limit vertical movement of the link during the aforesaidcamming action between projection 25 and surface 4|. This meanscomprises a forwardly and upwardly sloping shoulder 42 formed on therear of link 2 and adapted when the link is moved rearwardly to underliea similarly sloped surface 43 on the coupler head. Rearward move ment ofleg 2! of the lock will therefore, as it moves link 24 rearwardly, causean overlap between surfaces 2 and 43, thus preventing vertical movementof link 24 and hence the lock relative to the coupler head.

Fig. 3 shows the position of the parts after the lock has movedvertically until shoulder 22 has engaged ledge 23 at the same time theleg 21 of the lock has moved rearwardly in the direction that woulddisengage the anti-creep. However, it will be observed that the abovedescribed movement causes contact between surfaces 42 and 43 whicheffectively prevents either rearward or upward vertical movement of thelock leg relative to the coupler. The lock can not exert a cammingaction against surface t! that would move link 26 vertically since thelatter is held against vertical movement by engagement between surfaces42 and :33. It will be understood that in positions of the lockintermediate those shown in Figs. 1 and 3 rearward movement of the lockleg such as would cause shoulder 22 to move from beneath ledge 23 wouldeffect engagement between surfaces 42 and 4 :1 to prevent furthervertical movement of the look.

In addition to contact between surface 46 and projection 26, withdrawalof shoulder 22 from ledge 23 is made possible by reason of the fact thatend 29 of lever 30 moves forwardly and upwardly so that the center ofprojection 283 is rearwardly of a line drawn through the center of rivet3| and approximately the center of rotation of the lock, thus the togglebetween the lock and link 24 is broken rearwardly so that as lever 30 isfurther rotated forwardly and upwardly projection 26 on the look iscaused to move rearwardly until shoulder 22 is entirely withdrawn frombeneath shelf 23.

Surfaces 52 and 43 should be at such an angle to the vertical that whenlink 24 is actuated by lever 30 the aforementioned surfaces can readilyslide upon each other so as to be disengaged during uncoupling of twocouplers. I have found that an angle substantially the same as the slopeof slot 25 in link 24, when the latter is in normal position, gives verysatisfactory results. At the same time such an angle is sufficient toprevent surface 62 from slipping past surface 43 during creeping of thelock.

In Figs. 4 and 5 two positions of the various parts are shown during thewithdrawal of shou1- der 22 from beneath ledge 23 when the lock hasmoved upwardly suniciently for the anti-creep to engage. The firstmovement of link 26 upwardly causes surface 42 thereon to slide frombeneath surface 53 on the coupler. On the for ward wall 45 of thecoupler and adjacent ledge 23 there is formed a projection 45 adapted tobe engaged by forward surface ll on link 24 to force the upper end ofthe latter rearwardly when the link is moved upwardly during anuncoupling operation. Since the upper end of link 25 is movingrearwardly, and inasmuch as projection 26 is being moved rearwardly bysurface 4|], the

resultant effect will be that the lock leg is with drawn from beneathledge 23. This movement further acts to break the toggle, as previouslydescribed, thus positively assuring withdrawal of the lock leg frombeneath the anti-creep ledge. In Fig. 5 the lock is shown movedrearwardly and entirely disengaged from ledge 23 and in this position ofthe parts the surface 41 of the link has been moved, due to the breakingaction of the toggle, until it no longer engages projection 46 of thecoupler head.

It will be observed, particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, that ledge 23extends downwardly and rearwardly a slight amount so that there is notendency for shoulder 22 when in engagement with the ledge to slip outfrom beneath the ledge upon an upward force being directed against thelock.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in theme ofsuch terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the featuresshown and described or portions thereof, but recognize that variousmodifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a car coupler having an opening in the bottom thereof, a lockadapted to move vertically and having a leg extending into said opening,means on said leg adapted to underlie a portion of said couplerforwardly of said lock for limiting upward movement of said lock,uncoupling means pivoted to said coupler and shiftably connected withsaid lock for moving the latter vertically, and means on said uncouplingmeans adapted to underlie a portion of said coupler rearwardly of saidlock for preventing undesired withdrawal of said first named means frombeneath said ledge.

2. In a car coupler, a vertically movable lock having a downwardlyextending leg, a rotor lift lever pivotally mounted on the bottom ofsaid coupler to the rear of said look, a link shiftably connected withsaid leverand the leg of said lock, disengageable anti-creep meanscomprising a projection on said leg underlying a stop on said head, andmeans on said link underlying a portion of said coupler head fornormally preventing disengagement of said anti-creep means withoutpreventing operation of said link by said lever.

3. In a car coupler, a lock having a leg extending downwardly into anopening in the bottom of said coupler, a lever pivoted on said couplerto the rear of said opening, a link shiftably con nected with said leverand lock, a lug on said coupler extending into one end of said openingand adapted to cooperate with a portion of said lock to limit upwardmovement thereof, and means adjacent the opposite end of said openingadapted to cooperate with said link for limiting upward movement thereofby said lock relative to said coupler.

4. In a car coupler, a lock member having a leg extending downwardlyinto an opening in the bottom of said coupler, a lever pivoted on saidcoupler to the rear of said opening, a link member joining said leverand lock member and shiftable with respect to said lock member, a lug onsaid coupler extending into one end of said opening and adapted tocooperate with a portion of one of said membersto limit upward movementthereof, and means adjacent the opposite end of said opening adapted tocooperate with the other of said members for limiting up ward movementthereof by said one of said members relative to said coupler.

5. In a car coupler including a knuckle and a lock, a lever pivotallymounted on the bottom of said coupler to the rear of said look, aslotted link shiftably connected with said lever and the bottom of saidlock, saidlock having a projection extending into the slot in said link,said lock underlying a portion of said coupler to form an anti-creep andmeans comprising a portion of said link adapted to underlie a part ofsaid coupier headfor preventing said anti-creep from becomingineffective.

6. In a car coupler having an opening in the bottom thereof, a knuckle,a member for locking said knuckle in closed position, said member havinga portion extending into said opening, operating means shiftablyconnected to said portion for moving said member vertically forunlocking said knuckle,' disengageable means for preventing undesiredvertical movement of said member to knuckle unlocking position, andmeans comprising portions of said operating means adapted to underlie apart of said coupler for normally maintaining said disengageable meansin position for preventing said undesired vertical movement.

7. In a car coupler including a knuckle and a lock, a lever pivotallymounted on the bottom of said coupler to the rear of said look, a linkhaving a forwardly and upwardly sloping slot connecting-said lever andthe bottom of said lock, said lock having a projection extending intosaid slot and slidable relative thereto, said lock underlying a portionof said coupler to form an anti-creep, said link having a forwardly andup wardly sloping surface adapted to underlie a corresponding surface onsaid coupler for preventing said anti-creep from becoming ineffective.

I 8. In a car coupler including a knuckle and a lock, a lever pivotatllymounted on the bottom of said coupler to the rear of said look, a linkhaving a forwardly and upwardly sloping slot connecting said lever andthe bottom of said lock, said lock having a projection extending intosaid slot, said lock underlying a portion of said coupler to form ananti-creep, said link having a forwardly and upwardly sloping surfaceadapted I to underlie a corresponding surface on said coupler forpreventing said anti-creep from becoming ineffective, said surfaceshaving substantially the same slope as said slot.

9. In a car coupler including a knuckle and a lock member, a link memberconnected to said lock member and constructed and arranged forhorizontal and vertical displacement relative thereto, means foractuating said link member for lifting said lock, and anti-creep meanson said members adapted to underlie spaced portions of said coupler tolimit upward movement of said lock, said anti-creep means beingdisengageable a position of minimum horizontal displacement relative tosaid lock to disengage said anti-creep means when actuated by said lockraising means.

WILLIAM J. METZGER.

